The Method of the Calicurgi 



curgus notices the pit yawning at her feet. 

 She goes down it. This daring confounds 

 me. I should never have ventured to an- 

 ticipate as much. That she should suddenly 

 fling herself upon the Tarantula when the 

 latter is outside her stronghold, well and 

 good; but to rush into the lair, when the 

 terrible monster is waiting for you below 

 with those two poisoned daggers of hers! 

 What will come of such temerity? A buz- 

 zing of wings ascends from the depths. 

 Run to earth in her private apartments, the 

 Lycosa is no doubt at grips with the in- 

 truder. That hum of wings is the Cali- 

 curgus' paean of triumph, unless it be her 

 death-song. The slayer may well be the 

 slain. Which of the two will come up alive ? 

 It is the Lycosa, who hurriedly scampers 

 out and posts herself just over the orifice of 

 the burrow, in her posture of defence, her 

 fangs open, her four front legs uplifted. 

 Can the other have been stabbed? Not at 

 all, for she emerges in her turn, not with- 

 out receiving on the way a cuff from the 

 Spider, who immediately regains her lair. 

 Dislodged from her basement a second and 

 yet a third time, the Tarantula always comes 

 up unwounded; she always awaits her ad- 

 versary on her threshold, administers pun- 

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